The Shaman’s Drum: Eurocentric Interpretations of Non-European Sonic Worlds
Bernd Brabec
VIRUS - Beiträge zur Sozialgeschichte der Medizin 2023 DOI: 10.1553/virus21s215 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Indigenous Epitome Meaning existential Romance Aesthetics Colonialism Literature Anthropology Epistemology Archaeology Diverse musicological studies |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that the historical and contemporary uses of the term "shamanism" and its associated music are rooted in colonial prejudices and ignore Indigenous realities. |
Abstract
In this contribution, I will focus on the history and meaning construction of the term “shamanism” and its implications for the music that is attached to this concept. “Shamanism” was brought to Europe from Russian Siberia in the 17th century and then, until the 20th century was re-interpreted as an epitome of the exotic and diabolic. During the last third of the 20th century, however, the term and concept were transformed and romanticised in alternative and New Age contexts of modern societies. The music associated with Indigenous ritual was likewise transformed and adapted so that anyone could play it, such as monotonous drumming for instance. Both processes, i. e. the historical construction of the exotic and contemporary appropriations of the romantic, are based on highly colonial prejudices against what was considered as “primitive” and are ignorant of the Indigenous historical and contemporary realities.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |